Piercing Aftercare Instructions Guide

Today piercings are more common than ever. They used to be limited to small groups of people but they have recently become much more main stream. It is also more accepted by the general public and there are people in professional positions who have body piercing. Once your piercing is done, your piercer will give you specific instructions based on the type of piercing. Be sure to follow these as closely as possible so it will heal properly. Once you are out of the shop, it is your responsibility to take proper care of your piercing. This guide will help you to remember the proper steps to ensure a quick and easy healing process.

Keeping Your Body Piercing Clean

Once your piercing is done and n you get home, there are some things that you will need to remember. First and foremost is keeping your piercing disinfected. This should be done twice per day. You will need to wash it with an antibacterial soap that is free of fragrance and dyes that can irritate the piercing. You can check with your piercer or online to find a soap that is well suited to this task. The best time to do this is when you are bathing or right after. Bodily fluids can dry and form a crust around the piercing and the warm water helps to loosen it for easy removal. Use a cotton swab on the area to make sure this is removed. A tissue also works great. Avoid using anything like a wash cloth or towel. Once the area is washed apply warm water to rinse it off, but do not spray the area with high pressure. Make sure that all the soap is rinsed or the piercing can become infected.

Sea Salt Application

Once the area is clean it is important to apply a sea salt solution. This helps to keep the area from becoming infected and it works to relieve any inflammation that may be present. The proper amounts of this mixture are about ¼ teaspoon of sea salt to eight ounces of water. Make sure the water is warm so the salt will dissolve thoroughly. Use a cotton swab to apply the solution or gently pour over the area. There are also commercial solutions sold to make this process easier. These are sold in spray containers that allow you to quickly spray the area with the solution and save time. Once the solution is applied, allow it to air dry. This can be applied as often as necessary to help prevent irritation and infection.

Moving the Jewelry

When a piercing is first healing, the skin has a tendency to grow up around the jewelry. For this reason, it is important to wiggle and move the jewelry in and out of the piercing to keep it free. This is especially important with oral piercings. The mouth is one of the fastest healing parts of the body and lip piercings can often begin to grow up over night. To avoid this, move it around every morning to keep it loose.

Tongue Piercing

For a tongue piercing the steps are a little different. To keep the mouth clean and the tongue free of infection, it is important to use an antiseptic mouthwash like Listerine regularly. The maximum amount of time this should be done is twice per day or it could interfere with the healing process. Drinking cold water frequently can help with the swelling. Also be careful of the foods you eat. Soft foods are often your best bet at first. Finally, avoid oral sex until your tongue has completely healed.